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Setting - Northern Europe
Including some of the most important countries in the western hemisphere--both culturally and historically--this portion of Europe comprises Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Given its role on the world stage, one might think only the United Kingdom contained much of interest to the rest of world of paragons, but each country plays its own unique part. Sharing, as they do, similar climate, some rough but beautiful terrain, and a rustic sensibility, the Scandinavian countries are often conceived of as green meadows and mountainsides populated by gorgeous vikings. However, each nation has its own distinct character, whether it's the Danes' rich intellectual and artistic heritage, Finnish egalitarianism and self-sufficiency, Norwegian farming culture, the many provinces of Sweden, each of which with their own unique cultures, or any of the other facets of these countries that set them apart from one another. Whereas England has a long, robust history with superpowered heroes and villains, most of the other countries in this region work to make themselves significant with regards to superbeings in other ways. Despite a long history with magic and myth, this part of the world is home to some of the most advanced scientific organizations in the world. This dichotomy might seem contradictory, but the people here embrace their past while pursuing their future, knowing that either could hold the key to a better world. = The Scandinavian Countries = The Scandinavian countries of northern Europe share a common history closely linked with the Norse pantheon of gods. In earlier centuries their influence was felt over the entire region; trolls wandered the peaks of snowy mountains, dwarves toiled in their forges below them. After Ragnarok, magic slowly waned from the region. Today, both magic and super-powered individuals have returned to Scandinavia. Every threat that has arisen in the region that was not big enough to catch the attention of The Guardians or other globe-spanning heroes is dealt with by SWORD teams (the EU version of the PRA) and their team of international European paragons, or even local authorities. It's possible the authorities will soon find themselves outmatched by the incursion of supervillains into the region, and secondly from a pan-European group of villains that go by the name "Menace". Denmark Almost all of the Scandinavian countries have been looking for a way to address the unbalance caused by a lack of local paragons. Denmark took a very direct approach to financing the Lund Life Sciences laboratories in hope of a solution rather than relying on SWORD or other agencies should problems arise. Because of this, Denmark is the smallest contributor of financing the SWORD supergroup set up by the European Union; they decided that Lund's research was a higher priority. Since the Event, Denmark experienced few paranormals who made themselves publicly known, and those that did were more villainous than heroic. While SWORD and local police were able to handle the majority of cases, the Danish government decided their lack of superhelt could not be allowed to continue. They made a deal with Anders Lund, the country's leading geneticist, to shift the focus of his research from curing illnesses to the theory of a "super-gene". Many of the scientific advances made in this field, and much of what we know of paragon physiology, power manifestation, etc (see here) comes from Lund Life Sciences (see below). Another group has been eyeing Denmark: Labyrinth, a criminal organization originating in Greece and Boston. Lund Life Sciences (Lund Biovidenskab) Lund Life Sciences in Copenhagen is one of the most advanced biological laboratory facilities in Europe and has devoted the last decade to the study of the genetic makeup of super-powered individuals. A huge database has been built up over the years, which is likely larger than anybody realizes, as Lund agents travel the world to collect samples and are not opposed to obtaining them through illicit means. The reason for this is a simple one; they plan on creating the ultimate superhelt, or superhero, in order to safeguard their country. Lund Sciences aided the heroes fighting Imperius in London during the Imperius Invasion. They used their tech to help contain the damage and fighting, and also lent their tech to Dr. Nefarious and the others to create the cannon used to defeat Imperius. Since the incident, Lund has redoubled its efforts to further their research and complete their experiment. Finland Finland weathered a unique threat during WWII. It fought two conflicts: one against the Russians and the other against Nazi Germany. In those days, the country was unique in that it actually had a small handful of paragon individuals protecting them, almost all of whom were dead by the end of the war. After the war, Finland adopted an official policy of neutrality before joining the UN. The government of Finland is apparently content with the current state of the EU, despite the problems that plague some of the other member countries. Thus, they have outlawed superheroes to operate within their borders, though they do allow SWORD to deal with any problems that arise in the region. Soon, however, Finland will face two dangerous threats and a third that could prove to be its downfall or salvation. The Helsinki Brain Although tensions between Finland and Russia date back to their fight for independence in 1917, they truly escalated during the Winter War of 1939. The latter conflict lasted just two years, but fueled feelings of resentment between the two countries that last to this day, not helped in any way by recent development. During the late 1940s, Finland was plagued by a series of UFO sightings that lingered over Helsinki for several consecutive nights before ending abruptly when one of the craft apparently crashed into the nearby wilderness after being struck by artillery. The public has never been made aware of the nature of the craft, which is a closely guarded secret by the Finnish government to this day. However, rumors attest to a lifeform of some kind--an artificial intelligence or alien, most say--codenamed "The Helsinki Brain. This entity has allegedly been acting as an adviser to the government's defense and economic policies for decades. For what purpose--or even what it's original purpose in coming to our world--none can say. Iku-Turso, the Beast of the Baltic Ancient tales tell of a great beast that swam the waters of the Baltic Sea, terrorizing all who sailed there. A disease-ridden thing often described as a cross between an octopus and a walrus, its immense size and strength paled in comparison with the ease to which it could cause sickness in any living thing. Schools of fish sickened merely by being in its presence, their bodies so twisted by illness that local fishermen soon began to starve for fear of eating their flesh. The corruption continued for such a time that the great-great-great-grandchildren of those that first encountered it grew old in fear of it. Then, one day...it disappeared. The Fishermen continued to be wary but eventually the name of the beast was lost to history and myth, its terrors confined to tales meant to scare children. However, with the Event, something changed. A presence could be felt deep beneath the Baltic Sea. Sounds of a massive lifeform could be heard from time to time. Pods of whales disappeared. Even Atlantis grew to fear the "Northern Reaches", which lay in that very region. Then, nine months ago, scientists were puzzled by the sudden appearance of dead and diseased sea life washing up on the shores with no explanation as to what had caused it. They didn't have to wait long for an answer as this forgotten monstrosity once again rose from the ocean, destroying a cruise ship and causing the deaths of over three thousand people on board. Mr. Weird, '''member of the Guardians and alleged extraterrestrial, claimed that the creature was called Iku-Turso, a presence from a distant world. Unsure of how to deal with such an immense threat, the Finnish government shut down all activity within their waters for the following week until an offer to help was made by a fairly unexpected source. Grimur Johannesen--an experienced whaler from the Faroe Islands--agreed to lead a group of monster hunters and track down the beast using the most up to date technology in pursuit of his prey. Apart from a few sightings, Johannesen has been unsuccessful, but he has noted the creature displays a far greater intelligence than legends of the beast indicate--or that something or someone may be manipulating its actions. As of July 2020, Finland has declined offers from SWORD and the Guardians to help. Lost, but Soon Found? There are a great many tales of the Finnish god Vainamoinen. Appearing as a simply-dressed man with a flowing white beard, it is said he was the wisest of the immortals, the personification of order, and that his voice was so magical that he could charm the very sea. Regarded as the "eternal bard", he wandered the lands dispensing wisdom to those he met and playing a kantele forged from the jawbone of an immense pike. It's said that when the gods left our world, he sang for a boat made of copper, it's very form drawn from the earth itself, and he set sail from the mortal realms voing to return when his wisdom and might would be needed again. To ensure this, he dropped his great sword into the ocean, allowing the tides to decide where and when it would be found, but always providing a link back to Earth for him. Somewhere, buried in the sands along the shores of Finland, the sword lies buries waiting to be found. Its blade is said to shine as bright as the sun, with an edge so sharp that nothing can resist it. Iceland Iceland is a land of enchantment and ancient intrigue. Like other Scandinavian nations, Iceland has traditionally forbidden superhero activity in their nation, relying on other peacekeeping task forces and conventional law enforcement to handle any threat that might arise. However, in recent years, things have been getting more complicated. As the only NATO member that doesn't have their own standing army, and because of the sudden surge of paranormal activity in nearby countries, the Icelandic government has started forming their own team of paragons. Their leadership has even considered the possibility of contacting the UK branch of '''Power Corps to gauge their interest in taking on the role of setting up a government-sponsored "franchise". These discussions have reached a stalemate, however; the cost and unpredictability of forming their own super team makes the prospect uncertain. While this has caused some unrest, the Icelandic government believes that SWORD should be able to help keep them safe in the mean time. New Digital Worlds New Digital Worlds is responsible for three of the world's most popular MMOs--War Beyond the Stars, Mythic World 2, and Pixie Town Adventures--and has a fan base of millions logging onto its servers every day. Two months ago, one of the programmers began to notice that during server downtimes, additional code had been added to their games that neither she nor any other programmer had any knowledge of. Further investigation found that the code had been directing seemingly random players to an external server but that the firewalls there were so sophisticated that it was impossible to discover when they stored. Assuming it was a security breach, she reported it to her supervisor, but all traces of the incursion disappeared. Annika, the programmer, couldn't let it go. She asked around the game forums and other fan sites to see if players themselves had any idea what was going on, and she found a few who mentioned a set of new puzzles added to the game around the time she found the breach. Each player had been invited to these sections by a character called "Motherboard" (as an added note, the name really bugged Annika, as it didn't fit the setting). After solving a few logic-based puzzles, they were promptly returned to their original location in-game. News of the hacking was reported shortly thereafter. A few multinational conglomerates had their new security systems breached, each one utilizing a new logic-based encryption. Had someone been using the game and its players to break these codes? What did this mean for the other companies that had used this new security system? Annika isn't sure, but is keen to find out. The Watchers Despite Iceland's official stance on superheroes, there are still those who refuse to sit by when crime and villains rear their heads. Based out of Reykjavik and calling themselves "the Watchers", it's not known how many members the group has, or even what their members can do. They don't wear costumes that anybody has seen and they are careful not to be seen or caught by police. The Watchers mostly gather evidence and pass it on to the police, but there have been a number of incidents where they directly involved themselves. The Icelandic government has demanded that the Watchers cease their activities immediately. The public, however, seems fond of their silent protectors and protests have started in support of these vigilantes. As of today, the government has not budged on the issue. Norway As only the Scandinavian country to have a long-established native paragon, Norwegians consider themselves incredibly fortunate. Skjaldmeyjar has managed to overcome every adversity since establishing herself as the country's protector since 2001, only months after Astrea's '''official debut. Because of her efforts andbravery, Norway has minimal contact with SWORD. Even now they are unaware that Skjalmeyjar's presence has brought a significant danger to their shores as one of the world's most dangerous organizations has set its sights on her. Skjaldmeyjar, or "Shieldmaiden" Asa Grimsdotter's life was a calm and happy one. Growing up on a farm in rural Norway, Asa was always a kind, hard-working girl who held a deep compassion for everyone. Her father passed away when she was only fourteen, however, forcing Asa to become the main provider for her sick mother and younger siblings. The Event occurred when she was 19 years old, granting her the ability to alter her own senses and physical abilities to superhuman levels through concentration, as well as the ability to sense, manipulate, and restore lifeforce energy Sweden Sweden is one of two Scandinavian countries that is not a member of NATO, though their ties to the EU allow SWORD to operate within their borders. They have petitioned for the largest SWORD headquarters in the region to be built here, driven by a desire from coastal regions. Sweden has always managed to keep on on top of paranormal problems using mundane means or by hiring specialists. However, the recent Imperius Invasion has left Sweden rattled and questioning its future security concerns. In addition, recent SWORD losses could point to a much larger security concern for the country. Purple Haze A new narcotic has found its way onto the streets of Stockholm going by the name of purple haze: a thick, viscous liquid that grants seemingly random powers moments after its consumed. It is thought to be a derivative of zoom and max, which are found predominantly in New York City. Its real origins are slightly more complex. A street-level paragon known as '''the Rockstar '''has been investigating the drug and discovered that its origins may be connected to '''Slaze the Chemist, a chief officer of Imperius. This is concerning for a number of reasons, and as he continues his investigation, Rockstar is unsure whether he may be in over his head. SWORD Headquarters, Stockholm As SWORD's largest base in Northern Europe, the Stockholm headquarters should be in much better condition than it is. The base, which is staffed only by a skeleton crew, is responsible for coordinating almost every mission that takes place in the region. The current state of affairs is due to a series of losses the base suffered at the hands of both Imperius in 2018, and a villain team known as Menace more recently, not to mention the time a dimensional tear swallowed an entire village as well as the agents that had been sent to investigate it. While waiting for new agents and officers, the gap in security has allowed Menace to pull off even more outrageous schemes throughout Sweden. Ireland The Emerald Isle has had a long history with magic and extraordinary individuals,largely due to a series of four regional Events that occurred throughout the British Isles between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. Most of these individuals have been Sainted and are well regarded; their names are inscribed onto many a pub sign. While the Irish government is completely separate from its neighbors, its approach to the management of paragons is handled in a similar fashion. Being responsible for the safety of the country the authorities understand dangers exist that only paragons have a chance of defeating, and keeping a team of them on-hand is only sensible. In Ireland, this team is known as the Caomhnóirí Emerald ("Emerald Guardians"). Caomhnóirí Emerald The major superteam of Ireland, they were formed only three months after the Sentinels (see below) based on the same principles. The team is employed and sent on missions by Ireland's Ministry of the Paranormal, and consists of Macroth (see below), Harvest, Cloudbank, Candyman, the Bard, the Seahorse, and the Mechanic. '''They do not have the fame of their cousins in London, but they are no less capable in the field. During the Imperius Invasion, the Caomhnóirí Emerald remained in Ireland and did not participate in the '''Battle of London. The logic behind this decision was that in the event the gathered heroes failed, they would need more heroes to continue the fight. Macroth: Champion of Eire The leader of the Caomhnóirí, Macroth is a courageous and powerful paragon, and the respected leader of his team. He has the ability to become a man of stone with a moment's thought, along with the ability to warp space around him, allowing for limited teleportation. He is known as the first and last line of defense. For the people of Ireland, no matter how bad things get, once Macroth appears, everything will be okay. Manteis Ireland is home to one of the most sinister, brilliant, and vicious criminals in the entirety of the UK. Nobody knows who he was before he became Manteis; it was like he just appeared in Ireland in the months following the Event, quickly becoming the region's most notorious and feared supervillains. Manteis is a gaunt figure, who has a black, smoking hole in his chest and dark, hollow eyes. He commands the Dread Shade; a seemingly sentient shadow entity that he can materialize and contract to and from his body at-will. Manteis can utilize the Dread Shade for a number of purposes, including defense, flight, and vicious attacks. In spite of its versatility, the Dread Shade's energy is limited and can be drained by sunlight. When he runs out of energy, the Shade retracts back into his chest. Negative emotions intensity the Dread Shade, making it more unruly and stronger, albeit at the cost of him losing control. The personality, strength, defense, and control of the Dread Shade depends on the time of day. During the day, the Dread Shade is smaller, weaker, and easier to command. At night, it becomes wild and extremely powerful. Manteis is unpredictable and lacks empathy, and has been causing misery and mischief around Ireland for nearly 20 years. Despite how many times the heroes of Ireland believe they have imprisoned or even killed Manteis, he always managed to turn up again a few months or years later. He is classified as a Class-A villain and conventional law enforcement are not advised to engage without first calling the government superteam. Thomas Rhymer Growing up in wartorn Belfast, Thomas is the seventh and youngest child of a large Catholic family. Thomas was always clever, but also wild and frequently in trouble with the authorities. Thomas is a paranormal and private investigator, using his talents to investigate cases both mundane and supernatural in nature. Rhymer possesses the second sight and has started to dabble in arcane lore and rituals. He is not exactly a master mage, but he is a force to be reckoned with, if not more for his cleverness and fearlessness, in addition to his ability to show up exactly where and when he needs to. He's not conventional or polite company, but he gets the job done. United Kingdom Mystical energy once ran through the very land of the United Kingdom and even though they have long since faded, their influence is responsible for the origins of a great many heroes and villains. Since the Event, the UK has had the largest population of paragons in the whole of Europe.The general opinion of paragons is similar to how America views its own heroes, with the major distinction that superheroes must register with Ministry of Powers, and are only allowed to operate with government oversight. This stemmed from protests in the wake of the Event that compared paragons to uncontrolled, living weapons of mass destruction. The Ministry of Powers The Ministry of Powers was formed in 2004 to keep a check on all the powers who called the UK home. After numerous debates, it was decided that the Ministry would police superhumans and keep a database of all paragons in the country. To this end, any superhero wishing to use their power to help others or fight villains, they must first register with the Ministry. The Ministry would pay all heroes based on their performance. Their database was used to recruit the UK's government-sponsored team, the Sentinels. Not long afterward, the Ministry was contacted by the Blake Institute, a well-regarded technology think tank, with plans for a super-prison that could handle powered criminals. The government quickly agreed to cooperate and construction soon began in the North Sea on "Tartarus", other times just called The Pit. The Blake Institute supplied the Ministry with advanced technology, such as the Goliath I power suit to guard the prison. The Golden Griffon Anne Pennington was an agent for the British secret service during World War II. She went on countless missions for the allies and risked her life in high stakes adventure after high stakes adventure. But as she got older, she had fewer adventures until she was put at a desk. And then, fifteen years later, she was forced to retire. For the next thirty years, she grew older, feeling useless and alone in a senior care facility, longing for the adventures of her youth. When the Event occurred, Anne was amazed to discover she had de-aged to about 18 years old. More than that, she developed energy control powers that allow her to fly, shoot powerful blasts of energy and energy constructs, manifest force fields, and even use the energy as a sort of healing light. She did some hero work on her own, until the Ministry of Powers was established. She quickly registered and did some work for the Queen. She was chosen to serve as a founding member of the Sentinels, where she proudly served until 2012. From there, she would serve as head of security at Tartarus Prison. Still, she is sometimes called in to fight beside the Sentinels. The Golden Griffon was among the heroes gathered to oppose Imperius during the Battle of London in 2018. She fought bravely and, despite some minor injuries, she survived the battle and continues her work for the Crown. The Sentinels Throughout the last twenty years, the Ministry and the Sentinels have managed to thwart threats to the country. The team is made up of heroes from around the UK. The current line up is under the command of Captain Thunder, along with the Celt, Kid Robot, Mongrel, Stonehenge, Ultramarine II, Hi-Note, Gold Rose, Starlight, and The Great Detective. For more information on the Sentinels, see here. ''' The Misfits While the Sentinels are the most famous superteam in the UK, they aren't the only one. '''The Misfits are a group of unregistered punks and anarchists, who believe that people should be free to use their powers to help people without the government lording over them. Unruly and loud, the Misfits are constantly on the move in their Battle Bus, doing what the Sentinels can't or won't do and fighting the good fight completely outside the law. Police and the Sentinels alike have orders to bring the Misfits in. Some say that the rising tensions between the Mifits and the status quo will probably inevitably lead to an all-out conflict in the streets. For more information of the Misfits, see here. Glastonbury Tor This large hill in Glastonbury, Sommerset has long been associated with the legends of King Arthur and Camelot. In fact, some of those connections are true. In the final days of Camelot 10,000 years ago, the Tor was the site of the final battle between Arthur's "Knights of the Round Table" and the fae army of Queen Titania of Avalon. '''It was here that Arthur sacrificed himself to defeat the Queen and seal the last stable portal connecting our world with the Never. Over the course of the following centuries, tales about the "people under the hill" circulated in the taverns of the area. In 1590, a curious man called William Shakespeare sought out the origin of those stories. Over a few nights one balmy midsummer, he drank a ton of absinthe and performed a summoning ritual at Glastonbury Tor and made contact with the mischievous '''Good Robin. After this experience, he put quill to paper. In recent time, others, including Thomas Rhymer, have heard the call of the Tor and strange lights and other phenomena have been reported all over the area. Could it be the Fae of Avalon ready to return a third time? Or could it be King Arthur, finally ready to return to our world? Stonehenge The true origins of this stone circle in the vast openness of Salisbury Plain are only guess at by most. While nobody knows why or when, it is certain that the site is a Place of Power in our world; a rare magical site of immense magical power and importance. For the past two years, the site has been frequented by a new age group called the Earth Brotherhood have been snooping around, though nobody is quite sure why.